Although many people today refer to the wives of ancient Egyptian kings and female Egyptian pharaohs as queens, in ancient Egypt all the people surrounding the king (pharaoh) were referred to by their relationship to him/her. This was not meant to diminish a woman’s role per se, it was simply because all royal titles emphasized the individual’s relationship to the powerful king. The king of Egypt was a demi-god living, temporarily, on earth and charged with maintaining maat (justice/truth/order). Male kings usually inherited the throne, and their consorts were often members of the royal family who were raised to perform their regal roles. Therefore, we find many instances of brother-sister or half-brother-half-sister unions. While these incestuous marriages are a shock today, to the ancient Egyptians it made perfect sense to ensure that the king’s wives (they had several in the harem with different levels of status), were trained for their responsibilities, were loyal to their husbands and children, and it restricted the number of legal claimants to the throne. Now that you know the background, discover the stories of a few of the Great Wives of ancient Egyptian kings. Ankhesenamun (r. 1332-1322 BC, Dynasty 18) Titles: King’s Bodily Daughter, King’s Great Wife Read moreSection: Ancient WritingsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyHistoryAncient TraditionsPreviewRead Later